Creamy Gluten Free Pasta Salad + a FREE Easy Weeknight Dinner Recipes Cookbook (2024)

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Creamy Gluten Free Pasta Salad + a FREE Easy Weeknight Dinner Recipes Cookbook (1) Updated on August 23, 2018 with new recipe tips, gluten free pasta recommendations, and a FREE instant cookbook download-16 Quick and Easy Weeknight Dinner Recipes.

Thisgluten freepasta salad {vegetarian, low FODMAP & vegan options} with sweet grape/cherry tomatoes, peppery basil, and fresh, creamy ricotta cheese is a delicious solution when you need a quick and easy weeknight dinner everyone will love! It’s just one of the recipes in my cookbook, 16 Quick & Easy Weeknight Dinner Recipes-FREE to download today!

Three Reasons You’ll Love This Creamy Gluten Free Pasta Salad…

  1. It’s SO incredibly easy to make. 10 minutes prep, 10 minutes cooking time. You’re done!
  2. It tastes like summer year round! Unlike traditional tomatoes, which really only taste good in the summer {am I right?!}, you can easily find delicious grape or cherry tomatoes throughout the year.
  3. It’s super versatile too.Choose your favorite gluten free (or regular) pasta. Swap the pine nuts out with other nuts. Following a low FODMAP diet? Use grated Parmesan instead of ricotta. Not a fan of basil? Try a different fresh herb, or even your favorite dried herbs.

This gluten free pasta salad has easily got to be one of my all time favorite easy dinner recipes, and my family loves it too!

It was inspired by a simple pasta dish I ate on a post-college trip to New York with my best friend. It was springtime, and rainy. We stayed with her brother in a tiny 1 bedroom apartment near Lexington and 2nd avenue.

One night he made us a pasta with olive oil, chopped tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozzarella and I was hooked!

On second thought, That might have had something to do with the copious amounts of wine we drank. No judgement please🙂

Creamy Gluten Free Pasta Salad + a FREE Easy Weeknight Dinner Recipes Cookbook (2) Ever since that trip, this pasta dish has remained a staple in my easy weeknight dinner repertoire.

Only now I make it with gluten free pasta, and mix up the cheese according to whim-like this version with fresh ricotta that takes the creaminess factor up a notch or two.

And now, I usually make it with a legume based pasta which really boosts the nutrition factor too!

If you’re new to legume based pastas, here are a few different brands to try, all which have about twice as much protein, and 4-8 x as much fiber as regular pasta, along with extra iron and calcium too.

Creamy Gluten Free Pasta Salad + a FREE Easy Weeknight Dinner Recipes Cookbook (3)

In addition to these legume based gluten-free pastas being extra nourishing, I also love them because my teenagers eat them without complaint. Win, win!

BUT if you don’t tolerate bean based pastas (i.e. if you’re on a low FODMAP diet), or you simply don’t like the taste, a few other gluten-free pastas my family and I like are:

You can find these gluten-free pastas in your local grocery store, on-line at Amazon {affiliate links above}, or, my favorite source isThrive Market which has great prices!

Creamy Gluten Free Pasta Salad + a FREE Easy Weeknight Dinner Recipes Cookbook (4)

Gluten Free Pasta Salad with Tomatoes, Basil, & Fresh Ricotta

Thisgluten freepasta salad with sweet grape tomatoes, peppery basil, and fresh ricotta cheese is a delicious solution when you need a quick and easy weeknight dinner everyone will love!

4.80 from 5 votes

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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta according to directions, and drain.

  • While the pasta is cooking, slice the tomatoes in half and chop the basil and put both in a large bowl.

  • Add the cooked pasta to the bowl with the tomatoes and bail, then stir in the olive oil, ricotta cheese, and pine nuts. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

  • Serve immediately, or keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Notes

  • Low FODMAP Option:Make with corn/quinoa, brown rice, or other non-legume based pasta. Swap ricotta cheese for Parmesan or another low FODMAP cheese. If you are sensitive to cherry tomatoes, cut back on the amount or use regular tomatoes (chopped) which are lower in FODMAPs.
  • Vegan Option: Omit ricotta or make with vegan ricotta, nutritional yeast, or any other favorite vegan cheese.
  • I love making this withhigh fiber, high protein gluten free pasta made with lentils or chickpeas for an extra healthy dinner! Nutrition values are with lentil pasta.
  • Feel free to substitute with any cheese, herbs/green leafy veggies, and nuts or seeds you have on hand.
  • Serving suggestion: Fresh fruit and a simple green salad.

Nutrition

Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 27mg | Potassium: 237mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 590IU | Vitamin C: 17.9mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 2.9mg

EA Stewart, RD | Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

Course Dinner

Cuisine Gluten Free, Italian, Low FODMAP Option, Mediterranean, Vegan Option, Vegetarian

Keyword gluten free pasta salad, pasta salad, picnic recipes

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Craving more easy, healthy, family friendly dinner recipes? Instantly download your FREE cookbook, 16 Quick and Easy Weeknight Dinner Recipes!

Creamy Gluten Free Pasta Salad + a FREE Easy Weeknight Dinner Recipes Cookbook (5)

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Let’s chat!

  • What are your favorite easy weeknight dinners?
  • If you’re struggling with weeknight dinner time, what else besides easy recipes would be most helpful to you and your family?
  • Is there anything else would you add to thisgluten free pasta salad?
  • Did you download your free cookbook? Let me know which recipes you’re looking forward to making the most!

EA Stewart

Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist

EA Stewart, MBA, RD is an integrative registered dietitian specializing in wellness nutrition, digestive health, autoimmune disease, brain health, and vibrant aging. She creates easy, plant-forward gluten-free recipes for a wide variety of diets including low FODMAP, Mediterranean, and more.

Creamy Gluten Free Pasta Salad + a FREE Easy Weeknight Dinner Recipes Cookbook (2024)

FAQs

What are the five mistakes to avoid pasta salad? ›

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Pasta Salad
  • Using the wrong pasta. The wrong pasta type or size can make pasta salad soggy, slimy, or just plain hard to eat. ...
  • Salting only once, at the end. ...
  • Too many raw ingredients! ...
  • Overdressing or underdressing the salad. ...
  • Not seasoning again just before serving.

How to keep gluten free pasta salad from getting hard? ›

Make sure to cook it until tender. I usually recommend al dente for hot pasta, but for a gluten free pasta salad you want to make sure the pasta is well cooked to begin with, because it will harden as it cools. Add some of the dressing to the just cooked pasta, immediately after draining.

Is olive garden dressing gluten free? ›

Is your Italian salad dressing gluten-free? There are no gluten-containing ingredients in the dressing. However, gluten is present in the facility where the dressing is made. Please be sure to tell your server if you are avoiding gluten when you order your salad so that we can leave off the croutons.

Does Greek salad contain gluten? ›

Authentic Greek salad with peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, goat feta cheese, kalamon olives, and onions with organic olive oil from the Island of Crete. Gluten-free, contains dairy.

Should you rinse pasta when making pasta salad? ›

If you're making a dish that will be served chilled or at room temp—think cold soba, rice noodles, pasta salad—you do want to rinse so that you get toothsome (sorry) individual strands rather than one big gummy clump. Certain types of noodles benefit from a rinse in almost all applications.

Do you rinse pasta in cold water for pasta salad? ›

Do not rinse the pasta, though. The starch in the water is what helps the sauce adhere to your pasta. Rinsing pasta will cool it and prevent absorption of your sauce. The only time you should ever rinse your pasta is when you are going to use it in a cold dish like a pasta salad.

Why is my pasta salad not creamy? ›

When it comes to making a cold, creamy pasta salad, keep these tips in mind: When you cook the pasta, undercook it slightly. I follow the package directions and set my timer for a minute or two before it should be done. Then, I rinse the pasta under cold water before tossing it with the salad dressing.

What's the trick to cooking gluten-free pasta? ›

Cook pasta in an extra-large saucepan, for best results use 1lt of salted water per 100g pasta. Allow the pasta to boil uncovered while it cooks. There is no need to add oil to the cooking water. Boil for 5 minutes then carefully taste the pasta every minute until it is 'al dente'

How to make gluten-free pasta taste better? ›

Don't forget to salt the water.

On its own, gluten-free pasta is really pretty tasteless. It needs seasoning, in the form of salt, just like regular pasta. After the water comes to a boil, add enough salt to make the water taste like the ocean (about 1/4 cup for a large pot of water), before adding the pasta.

Is Olive Garden's Alfredo gluten-free? ›

our Alfredo sauce throughout the day. Alfredo sauce contains gluten.

Are the fries at McDonalds gluten-free? ›

The items on our menu that are free from ingredients containing gluten include our French Fries, which are cooked in dedicated fryers using a non-hydrogenated vegetable oil; Hash Browns; Fruit Bags; Carrot Sticks and Shaker Side Salad® with Balsamic Dressing; as well as some McFlurry® desserts, such as the Crunchie and ...

What mayonnaise has gluten? ›

When it comes to mayo, its traditional ingredients are usually gluten free. However, according to the Gluten Intolerance Group, those with celiac disease should avoid mayonnaise made using malt vinegar, as it derives from barley, a gluten-containing grain.

What mayonnaise is gluten-free? ›

Made with no artificial colours or flavours, Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise is naturally gluten free. Furthermore, it contains no added MSG. For chefs like Shaw, having a gluten-free product with a made-from-scratch taste like Hellmann's close at hand makes life so much easier.

Is hummus gluten-free? ›

Hummus is usually gluten-free, but not always. Traditional hummus is naturally gluten-free as are most brands such as Sabra Hummus. There are reports out there of certain brands either including flour in their hummus or just declaring that their hummus may contain wheat and/or is made on shared equipment.

What are the seven things that you should not do when preparing the salad? ›

Is Your Salad Healthy? 7 Ways You Might Be Sabotaging It, According to Registered Dietitians
  1. Mistake 1: Forgetting Protein. ...
  2. Mistake 2: Drowning in Dressing. ...
  3. Mistake 3: Packaged Dressings. ...
  4. Mistake 4: Going Crazy on the Croutons. ...
  5. Mistake 6: Using Light Greens.
Mar 27, 2023

What is necessary to avoid when making fresh pasta? ›

15 Mistakes To Avoid When Making Fresh Pasta
  1. Not using the well method to mix your pasta. ...
  2. Using the wrong type of flour. ...
  3. Using too many egg whites. ...
  4. Not using the correct dry-to-wet ingredient ratio. ...
  5. Not adding semolina. ...
  6. Under-kneading your pasta dough. ...
  7. Forgetting to rest your pasta dough. ...
  8. Rolling out your pasta by hand.
Feb 1, 2023

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